Let It Work For You
“Let it work for you.” This was a phrase I heard often from the director of the women’s and children’s ministry that I served at during my internship in bible college. I was a twenty-something with a big heart to serve God combined with a truckload of attitude that had yet to be dealt with. I was working in a ministry whose purpose was to help women who had been caught in the grips of life-controlling behaviors and substance addiction be set free, so they could begin to walk in freedom and be able to be the women God had called them to be. Much of the teaching and training was on heart issues - like pride, envy, jealousy, deceit, anger, rebellion, etc. that lay at the root of their life-controlling problems.
Our director was a straight shooter. She had a strong Jersey accent and didn’t have time for nonsense. She knew the power that the truth of God’s word held, and she wanted to see it activated in the lives of the women she served and led. She didn’t sugarcoat much and could see through excuses that the ladies made for not making important changes. Newsflash: she was consistent and would shoot straight to the staff and interns as well. Let’s face it, we all have issues and hurts that need to be healed. Some of us, more visible than others, but all of us need healing. I was also a straight shooter, but much of my shooting was through an undisciplined mouth who always had an opinion about everything. (I know, I’m still a work in progress.)
I struggled with God often and the environment of structured rules (because many of these women needed structure) caused my rebellious heart to want to speak out on every issue. I didn’t always use my words, but in my heart I would rage against ‘dumb rules’ and processes that didn’t make sense, seemed outdated, or I thought were irrelevant. I didn’t fully embrace the reality that God was using this time to expose the issues in my own heart.
In almost every interaction I had with our director, whether it was one-on-one or in a group setting she would say things like: “that’s just your pride,” or “let it work for you” or “it only hurts because your flesh doesn’t want to die.” I would get so irritated by the trite phrases that felt minimizing to the significant issues my heart would raise. Didn’t she care that changing your life hurt? Where was her compassion for my concerns?
Hit Fast Forward
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 NLT
I’m now in my forties and if you’d have told me even two years ago that my life would look like it does now, I would laugh at you and say, “NOT A CHANCE!” Nothing in the last several years has turned out like I had planned. My path hasn’t been anything I predicted, and I’m currently doing things I said I would never do. Sure, I could blame it on a global pandemic, if I believed that what we see is all there is, but I believe that God is working something much deeper in my heart. I would guess you believe that as well.
I have heard the phrase “Paula, let it work for you,” in a thick Jersey accent echo in my heart more times than I can count these last few months. I know that Holy Spirit has brought it back to remembrance because He is reminding me of a truth and promise that He is working all things (even the stuff I hate, would never choose on a normal day, and the disappointments) together for my good. Good rarely feels good, but it is beneficial.
I looked up the word “beneficial” and this is what I found: favorable or advantageous; resulting in good.
Resulting in good….meaning the starting point may not be good. The middle may not feel good. However, the end result will be good. This reminds me that we’re in a process of growth. Whether we are starting something new, navigating challenges or needed changes, transitioning from something or facing what seems insurmountable, we can be sure of this: it is working for our good.
So what is our response? Let it work for you. What seems like it’s working against you, what feels wrong because it hurts, the season you’re in that you hate, LET IT WORK FOR YOU. Ask God what it is that He is trying to remove, resurrect, or begin in you that feels like it is against you. Reaffirm your confidence in Him that He is for you, and then, let Him do his work in you. Embrace it. Trust His process. Let him root out the things in your heart that need to go to make more room for Him.
It’s going to be good. You can trust Him. If nothing else, You will gain more of Him which is the goal anyway. So hear me, in a thick Jersey accent say to your heart, “Friend, let it work for you.”